In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,319, there is disclosed a filter bag for cooking oil. The bag includes an independent stirrer adapted to remove sludge (i.e., accumulated food crumbs and other particulate matter) from the filter surface during a filtering operation. The stirrer is formed from a single rod bent so as to provide a generally U-shaped stirring portion and a handle portion.
The filter bag and stirrer disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,319 have been marketed successfully for many years. Despite their commercial success, the filter bag and stirrer have room for improvement. For instance, because the filter bag and stirrer are separate and distinct items, their shipping, storage and handling are complicated. As a result of its construction, the stirrer itself is also relatively expensive to manufacture. In use, the stirrer will oftentimes contact the filter bag, causing the larger particulate matter collected on the bag to cut or abrade it while causing the smaller particulate matter to be forced into the pores of the bag to completely plug them.